A Hotel for Political Progressives Is Opening in D.C.

Political progressives who want to make their hotel stays in Washington, D.C., alongside politically like-minded travelers will soon be able to do just that.

The Eaton Workshop, which opens its doors in early 2018, will be a combination hotel, communal workspace, and wellness center, catering specifically to those with a leftward political bent.

As a gathering place for an inclusive tribe of changemakers and creatives, Eaton Workshop invites activists, artists and entrepreneurs from around the world to instigate meaningful and positive initiatives on both a local and macro scale, as well as to hang out, indulge and follow their bliss.

The Eaton, billed as the first politically motivated hotel, is the brainchild of Katherine Lo, daughter of Ka Shui Lo, creator of Hong Kong-based Langham Hospitality Group.

The Washington property, conspicuously sited in the nation’s center of political power and activity and just blocks away from the Washington Trump Hotel, will be the brand’s flagship hotel. A second hotel will open in Hong Kong, also in 2018, with locations in San Francisco and Seattle coming on line the following year.

It remains to be seen whether the hotel’s kumbaya ethos will turn out to be economically viable as a business model. If it is successful, the Eaton could be in the vanguard of hospitality businesses wearing their political persuasions on their sleeves.

Reader Reality Check

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After 20 years working in the travel industry, and 15 years writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.